Semi-portable device to darken rooms



March 26, 1957 c. c. MOORE SEMI-PORTABLE DEVICE TO DARKEN ROOMS Filed Feb. 9, 1953 QLWQ:

1N VENTOR U Hired SwSzrPf-telf SEMI-PORTABLE DEVICE TO DARKEN ROOMS Clarence Carl Moore, Pocatello, Idaho Application February 9, 1953, Serial No. 335,939 I 1 Claim. (Cl. 160-87) The object of my invention is to exclude natural and artificial light from a room by means of opaque, portable, overlapping, curtains that are easily attached to andV detached from the nonportable apparatus.

My invention will be most used in schoolrooms in which visual education will be carried on by means of a machine projected image. The invention makes it easy to install and to remove the curtains as often` as needed without the necessity of climbing ladders or furniture to accomplish this purpose. It eliminates the need for having unnecessary, opaque curtains permanently ati One .of the chief ways ,in wihichtheuse ofthe said 'cur-f tainsr of my inventionr differs from the yconventional transparent Vor sun-glare, retarding curtains' and'most conof gravity for each curtain.

A 2,786,519 n PatentedMaLQG,

ventional blackout'curtains isthat thepconventional types function best whenrthey remain at the windows permarooms.

In they embodiment of they invention as,A determinedmbyf` the aid of the drawings there l'are several combinations of vpulleys that may be used to serve the many different situations in which a portable set of curtains must function. one of thepulleys function immediately above the center The other pulleys are arranged in such a manner as to carry the cords to one tached to the windows where ythey exclude light that is of a combination of: (l) portable, overlapping, detach-` able, opaque curtains (each curtain of a set consists of curtain fabric, end-pieces, andan attaching, detaching device) with other auxiliary portable materials consisting of rubber bands, web straps, a carrying handle, and a waterproof, dustproof, rectangular piece of fabric for enclosing the bundle; and (2) non-portable apparatus for holding each curtain in its place at the window, consisting of pulleys, a cord, cord attachments, cord ornament, an attaching and detaching device, and an overbalancing weight for the cord.

One form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Figure l is a horizontal View of a curtain held in a vertical position by the non-portable apparatus as it might be viewed from a point within the room. The window sill, casing, sash, and the panes are indicated by broken lines.

Figure 2 illustrates the positions in which several curtains are placed in order to darken a wide window Vor a series of windows placed in close proximity to each other.

Figure 3 is an edge view of a curtain placed in a vertical position.

Figure 4 is a detail view of one form of an overbalancing weight for the cord.

Figure 5 is a detail view of one form of clevis that may be used for an attaching and detaching device.

Figure 6 illustrates a screw-in type of pulley-holder by means of which a series of pulleys and their retaining flanges are attached to a single pulley staff.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of one side and end of a rolled curtain with the rubber bands attached.

Figure 8 is a view of a curtain carrier as it would appear with curtains rolled within it and ready for transportation.

In order to understand this invention, it is necessary to keep in mind the function which it serves. My invention makes possible the easy transportation, attaching and detaching of opaque curtains in order that the said curtains may be used in any classroom or any buildings by installing a minimum amount of permanent equipment in each room in which the curtain sets are to be used.

side of the window or transparent opening. This avoids having the cords, overbalances, and part of the attachingdetaching device dangle before the eyes of those within the room. In my drawings pulleys 6 are so arranged with the placement of the gravity supporting pulley sulilciently high above the transparentopening so that when the curtains are removed the vision out the window is unobstructed. In order thatthere is the least amount of light leakage, the curtains when hung in a series must overlap the top, sides and bottom of the Windows they darken. If there is not to be light leakage between curtains, each curtain must overlap the one next to it when they are placed in a series.

After the pulleys 6 are placed in the proper positions, the cords 9 are trained over them. In order to place a number of curtains at one opening, I use a multiple type of pulley holder. This makes it`possible to carry all the cords over to one side where they may be manipulated. This pulley holder has a screw in base 16, a shank 18, a supporting base 17, pulley holder anges 19, to which are attached the pulley sheaves or rollers 22, with said rollers held in position by a pin 20, which extends through the holes in the anges and in rollers 22. The pulley holder illustrated ink Figure 6 is capable of carrying four cords and this number of cords are the usual number for wide windows.

The overbalance eye 12 and a hook 5 are attached to the end of the cord to which the curtain is to be attached and detached. The body of the overbalance may be of any lsize and material that will give it sufficient weight, to overcome the resistence of the cord through the pulleys. Its function in the' invention is to lower the hook end of the cord when no curtain is attached to it. Some device must be used to keep the cord 9 from rolling too far. Where several cords are brought to one side as shown in Figure 2, they can be fastened together by using a ring at 9. When the ring reaches the rst pulley 6, it stops all cords and leaves su'icient cord 9 for the operator to grasp from his position on the floor. After the cords have been pulled to a position where the curtains are in place or the overbalances and attaching equipment is out of vision before the transparent opening, the cords are stabilized by winding the cord around cleats 7 and 8. These cleats 7 and 8 can be placed far enough apart so that a few winds of the cord 9 shortens it and keeps it from dangling on the floor. An ornament 1) may be used at the end of the cord to give it beauty and to serve as a convenient hand grip.

The curtain body may be made from any opaque material that is not so stil that rolling is diicult. Likewise the half round end pieces 3 may be made of plastic, composition, metal or wood. The drawings illustrate wood pieces which are glued to the at side of the half-round sticks and with screws through one piece of One important mannerv of placing them is to makev arsenic,

3w the pair of half round and extending into the other clamping them against the fabric. The clevis which forms a part of the attaching device is attached to the half-round sticks at 4. A, hole throughthe upper, partA of it 1,4 makesl anL eye through which, the hookattaches. 4The cnrved` lower body ofA thissaidy clevisattaches to, the trop, end sticks. I

In order that sticks doL not interfere with each other, the curtains are staggered at the window,V with each', alternate curtain being slightly, higher than the one4 next to it.

The pull of gravity upon the overbalance and upon. the, overbalance plus the curtains causes the movement of the cords in one direction. the opposite end causes the movement of the. cordy in the opposite direction, This causes complete control of the hook end 5 when the operator releasesv the cord 9 from the cleats 7 and 8 and `pulls at the cord or allows the gravity to pull it. The cord 9 is manipulative bythe operator even though the curtains are not attached.

A heavy rubber bandl placed around; each end of the rolled curtain will keep it from unrolling. A number of said curtains carriedY like firewood are diicult to man; age. This makes some sort of carrying device necessary tothe invention. One strap 23 is placed around eachend of number of curtains to hold them together in a compact bundle and two center straps 23 with a carrying handle 24 attached to the ends of said carrying handle is usedl at the center of the bundle to facilitate the ease of carrying in transporting the set of curtains from one room to another.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have produced a novel semi-portable device to darken rooms which may be used in any number. of rooms in a building or in. any number of buildings at a small cost for the equipment which remains in each room in which the device isv to be yused. That it is practical to use and easy to produce by anyone somewhat familiar with the needs of audio-visual programs in classrooms or other rooms where there is al need for cutting off light rays from entering a room from the outside. It can also be used to keep the rays of light on the inside of a room from being visible to those on the outside.

The fact that this invention may be transported from room to room makes the use of the invention'economical for schools and other educational institutions. One set of curtains may serve as many rooms as one projector can serve and there is no more reason for having blackout curtains attached to the. windows of every classroom than there is for purchasing a projector for every classroom.

In the previous` paragraphs and in the drawings, I have The pull of the operator upon.

described and illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, but it is understood that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction insofar as the said changes or modifications fall within the range of the invention expressed in the following claim.

I claim:

The combination, in ak semi-portable device to darken rooms, which consists of: a series of portable, overlapping, detachable, opaque curtains which include opaque fabric, two pair ofhalf round sticks for each curtain of the series, each pair being attachedy to each end of said fabric, each stick of each pair being clamped against opposite sides of each of said fabric ends; van attaching and detaching device which consists ofa clevisy attached midway between the ends of the one pair of said sticks, a hook attached to one end of the cord and removably attached to the eye of said clevis; controlling cords, pulleys, said pulleys having cords threading therethrough and having attachment to the window lintel at a height that permits the curtain to overlap said lintel;l said pulleys including multiple sheave pulleys controlling a number of cords by carrying all thecords of said series of curtains hanging in overlapping proximity to each other to one side of aV transparentopening and providing a separate pulley sheave on the holder for each curtain cord of the series an overbalance having attachment to the hook end of said cord causing the pull of gravity to lower the hook for attaching curtains Vas a result of the operator having released the manipulative end of the corda pair of cord fasteners, stabilizing the movement of said cord by providing a place about which the cord may be wound and providing a means of shortening the cord; and a cord ornament adorning the manipulatory end of the cord.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 29,242 Cleveland July 24, 1860 214,926 Lane Apr'. 29, 1879 566,425 Spencer Aug. 245, 1896 676,694 Hover June 18, 1901 790,703 Organ May 23, 1,905 797,019 Putnam Aug. 15, 1905 1,120,020 Bullock Dec. 8, 19,14 1,936,198 Kirsch Nov. 21, 1933 2,365,127 Wagner Dec. 12, 1944 2,393,869 Paradise -.f Ian. 29, 1946 2,497,033 Morschier Feb. 7, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 357,265 France Dec. 22, 1905 276,169 Great Britain 1907 

